4 things Falcons can learn from Seahawks' breakup

4 things Falcons can learn from Seahawks' breakup

It wasn’t long ago that the Seattle Seahawks looked invincible, a dynasty in the making. After blowing out Peyton Manning’s Broncos by 35 points in the Super Bowl, they seemed destined to dominate the NFL for years to come.

Fast-forward four years and not only have they failed to win another ring, their championship window is now seemingly closed.

Yesterday’s news that Seattle agreed to trade Michael Bennett to the Eagles and that both Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are on the block confirms the party is over.

The Falcons should be paying close attention to this unfolding implosion, and not just because any front office in their right mind should be calling about Thomas. Atlanta’s team is being built in the same image as Seattle’s, so the Sehawks’ collapse could offer a cautionary tale as the Falcons come into their own as championship contenders.

Here are four things Atlanta can learn from the breakup:

1. Dan Quinn was (is) the man

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As it turns out, Seattle’s defense peaked when Quinn was the defensive coordinator from 2013-14. It certainly helped that he had a handful of future Hall of Famers in their prime, but it’s hard to deny he was by far their best defensive play-caller.

Given how much Atlanta’s defense has improved in three years, it’s becoming evident that if Quinn has quality players, he can do special things on that side of the ball.

Desmond Trufant, Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen may not rival the Legion of Boom’s legendary trio of Sherman, Thomas and Kam Chancellor, but they aren’t as far behind as most think. Deion Jones could rival Bobby Wagner and Luke Kuechly as the game’s top middle linebacker someday, De’Vondre Campbell has a lot in common with K.J. Wright and Atlanta’s defensive line is getting faster, better and meaner every year. In other words, most of the pieces are there.

If Quinn gets a little more depth at all three levels and the Falcons’ young stars on defense continue to develop, this unit should give them at least as many opportunities to win a championship as Seattle’s did.